The present invention relates to an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device for helping to protect a vehicle occupant in the event of a side impact to a vehicle and/or a vehicle rollover.
It is known to inflate an inflatable vehicle occupant proteciton device to help protect a vehicle occupant in the event of a vehicle collision. An inflatable curtain that is inflatable from the roof of the vehicle downward inside the passenger compartment between a vehicle occupant and the side structure of the vehicle in the event of a side impact or rollover is also known. Such an inflatable curtain is inflated from a deflated condition by inflation fluid directed from an inflator to the inflatable curtain through a fill tube.
The present invention relates to an apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle that has a side structure and a roof. The apparatus includes a inflatable vehicle occupant protection device that is inflatable away from the roof into a position between the side structure of the vehicle and a vehicle occupant. The inflatable vehicle occupant protection device has a perimeter defined by an upper edge positioned adjacent the roof, an opposite lower edge, and front and rear edges spaced apart along the upper and lower edges. The inflatable vehicle occupant protection device includes overlying panels secured together along the perimeter to define an inflatable volume within the perimeter. The inflatable vehicle occupant protection device is free from association with an inflatable tube.
An inflator provides inflation fluid for inflating the inflatable vehicle occupant protection device. A flexible elongated member extends through the inflatable vehicle occupant protection device and is coiled around a portion of the inflatable volume of the inflatable vehicle occupant protection device. The flexible elongated member has a first end fixed to the vehicle side structure at a first location and an opposite second end fixed to the vehicle side structure at a second location. The flexible elongated member resists movement of the inflatable vehicle occupant protection device away from the vehicle side structure when the inflatable vehicle occupant protection device is inflated.